The Fire Within
by Mily-chan
Summary: An American school comes to visit Hogwarts and with it comes new friends, as well as foes. A particularly unique girl manages to catch the young Sirius Black's eye, no matter if she'd rather be left alone. SiriusOC, hinted JPLE?
1. New Arrivals

**A/N: Hello. I was re-reading all of my Harry Potter books the other day and fell back in love with Sirius Black. So then of course, I went onto and proceeded to read every Sirius story I could find. But of course, there are only so many stories one can read before they are inspired to write one themselves. So here I am. Please enjoy the first chapter of The Fire Within**

_**Disclaimer**_**: I do not own Hogwarts, or any of its inhabitants. Nor do I own Harry Potter. I do own however, Headmaster Wayford. Oh, the plot. That's mine too.**

**---**

"So Padfoot I was thinking…"

"Wow Prongs, you can think?"

James Potter gave his best friend a sharp look. However, the young Sirius Black merely smiled crookedly and gestured for James to finish.

"Why Black, I was curious about that myself. Is it really possible for Potter to have a brain with all of that ego filling up his massive head?" A female voice commented smugly from behind the two.

Sirius turned to the girl with a smirk. "Why hello Evans."

"Evans!" James shouted excitedly, leaping to his feet and nearly knocking over the bench that ran down one side of the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. People further down grumbled but James didn't pay any attention to them. "Do you want a seat? Hey Peter scoot down a bit…" The shy boy immediately moved over to offer his seat.

Lily Evans, who was well known for being the brightest fifth year girl in their House, scoffed. "As if I would ever sit with a pig like you!" She began to walk away before noticing the quiet Remus Lupin sniggering from his seat across from James. "Remus." She gave him a curt nod and he smiled slightly in return. With that, the attractive girl left the group to go join her friends.

James sighed and watched her go with a vacant expression on his handsome face, running his hand through his hair.

"Bloody hell Prongs. Try to contain yourself would you?" Sirius laughed at the forlorn expression on James' face.

James frowned. "I just don't get it. I'm always nice to her… I'm smart, I'm handsome… What more could she want?" He threw up his hands in exasperation. "I just don't get it!"

"Maybe it's because you're just so damn gorgeous." Sirius told his friend with a grin

"Or," Remus cut in, "it could be that you're a Marauder and she's a prefect."

"Why does she like you then Moony?" James asked desperately.

"Because I'm a prefect as well, and I'm not… well, 'a conceited, egotistical, pig,' to put it eloquently." The young werewolf replied with a brutal honesty that made Sirius finch for his friend.

"Way to be subtle Moony."

Remus shrugged and grinned sheepishly.

Sirius tossed his hair out of his eyes and leaned forward, the other three doing the same.

"So," He said in voice quiet enough only they could hear, "I think I've got it down now mates. Snuffles is in the game now!" The other three gasped.

"Sirius you don't mean you actually…"

"Yeah."

"Bloody hell mate! It must have taken you ages!" James nearly shouted.

"Well what else was I supposed to do while I was cooped up in that hell hole all summer? Twiddle my thumbs? And now I can teach you two." Sirius nodded at James and Peter.

"Sirius I don't think that-" Remus began.

"Oh shut up Moony. We're trying to help you! This is the perfect way to do it!" Sirius said.

Remus opened his mouth to respond before the mousy Peter Pettigrew hurried motioned for his friends to stop talking.

"Dumbledore's about to start." He whispered

"So?" Sirius gave a lopsided grin but quieted anyway.

"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts." The old Headmaster smiled warmly at the students as the last first year took his seat and the Sorting Hat was put away until the next year. "It's refreshing to see so many new faces, and yet, it seems just as refreshing to see the old ones as well." He looked around the room and clasped his hands together. "And now we shall have our opening feast. But first, let me say a few words. Pollywiggle! Oddment! And Blubber! Please enjoy the meal." And with a wave of his hands, the food appeared on the empty platters to a point where first years could barely see the person across from them from overtop of the piles.

"Blimey," Sirius said, helping himself to anything in reach, "the house elves sure have outdone themselves this time."

"Yeah, for sure." Remus agreed. Peter and James nodded in agreement, unable to respond with all of the food shoved into their cheeks.

The four Marauders looked at each other and grinned; it was good to be home.

---

Dinner and dessert ended too quickly for the Marauders it seemed. As James reached for the last Treacle Tart on the tray, the food disappeared and he, as well as a good number of other students, groaned in disappointment. They all quieted however, when they saw the Headmaster stand back up to the podium and raised his hands to signal everyone to be quiet.

"I'm sure we're all quite full of delicious food now and are ready to head up to bed now-"

With this, Sirius and James stood up and shouted "YES!" The Great Hall rang with the sniggers coming from the opposite side of the Hall where the Slytherins resided. The two boys glanced over and saw Bellatrix Black, Lucius Malfoy, and Severus Snape glaring at them, as well as a great number of others. The Marauders glared back with just as much hatred but sat back down at the Headmaster's gesture.

"…But there are a few announcements I need to make first." He pushed his half-moon spectacles up onto the bridge of his long nose and gave a significant look at the Marauders. "First of all, our caretaker has kindly reminded me to remind _you_ to stay out of the Forbidden Forest, as it is strictly prohibited." The Marauders grinned at Dumbledore and he winked at them slightly. "Second, a list of prohibited items can be found outside of my office. A believe there are several new items this year." Once again, the Marauders grinned, it was after all, their fault that the list had been created. "And thirdly-" He looked up when Professor McGonagall came up beside him and hurriedly whispered something to him. The Headmaster nodded and McGonagall walked briskly down the center aisle and out the door of the Great Hall.

"Well," the headmaster spoke again, catching the students' attention once again, "it seems as if our guests have not arrived yet so we shall first commence with the school song. Everyone pick a tune and off we go!"

"_Hogwarts, Hogwarts,_

_Hoggy Warty Hogwarts_

_Teach us something please,_

_Whether we be old and bald_

_Or young with scabby knees,_

_Our heads could do with filing_

_With some interesting stuff,_

_For now they're bare and full of air,_

_Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

_So teach us things worth knowing,_

_And bring back what we've forgot,_

_Just do your best, we'll do the rest,_

_And learn until our brains all rot."_

**(A/N: I'm sorry everyone, I think that this song from the first book is amazing and deserved a place in this story. It's that amazing)**

The song ended at various times with voices ranging from high falsettos to low baritones. Sirius and James were some of the first finished, having had a race to see who could sing it faster.

"Ha!" Sirius gave a bark of laughter and held out his hand to James. "One sickle would suffice." He stated

James grumbled and dug through his pockets. Slapping down a silver coin into Sirius' hand he frowned and mumbled "I so would have won that if you had actually bothered to breath."

"Oh who needs air anyways?" Sirius sighed but slipped the coin into his pocket and smiled. "Thanks mate."

"Oh look, McGonagall is back." Peter noticed

Indeed she was, looking quite flustered one would notice, hurrying up to Dumbledore. He smiled and gestured for, once again, everyone to quiet down.

"It seems," he stated with a magnified voice so everyone in the hall could hear his every word, "that our guests have arrived. Would you all kindly welcome… The Salem Academy for Talented Witches and Wizards!"

Peter turned to Remus, "The Salem Academy for what?"

Remus was staring open mouthed at the Headmaster who stood patiently at the podium. "For Talented Witches and Wizards. They're from the Americas. According to records, they're all prodigies over there. You have to take a physical and written exam before you can even apply. The students start whenever the professors feel that their ready and they stay until either they turn fifteen or pass the final exams early. The School is incredibly private. Once the students leave their homes, they only go back for two weeks in July, and even then they're not to say anything about the school. No one is allowed to send mail out of the school but they are allowed to receive it. " He shook his head and smiled, "Most people don't even know they exist, they're that secluded from the rest of the world."

"No kidding?" Peter, Sirius, and James looked at him in disbelief

"I kid you not." He craned his head to look at the door, "Their Headmaster should be coming any second now…"

As the other Marauders turned to the door, it opened with a loud crash that shook the Hall.

A lone man stood in the doorway, however those close enough to the door could see a two masses of people standing behind him. His dark cloak was fastened around his neck with the emblem of the school: a tree divided into four parts with each season and a different element represented in each section. He gave a nearly blinding smile and began to march up the center aisle. The entire schools' eyes followed the man's progress up to the High Table. Well, all but one.

Sirius Black was watching the girl who had slunk in the door nearly directly after the man had entered. She had her black cape drawn tightly around her and had the hood over her head to hide most of her face. She crept her way over to the corner and pulled out her wand before muttering a few words and putting it back in the folds of the cloak. To Sirius' surprise, she took two steps before she disappeared completely from sight. As he continued to stare down the aisle between the Gryffindor table and the wall, he could have sworn he heard a squeak of surprise. He smirked, knowing she must have realized he'd seen her, and returned his attention to the front of the Hall, where the two Headmasters were now shaking hands.

"Good evening Albus. It's good to see you again." The man smiled

"It is a pleasure to have you grace our halls Nigel Wayford." Dumbledore greeted him

The man, Nigel, laughed. "Please," he smiled, crinkling his startling aqua eyes, "call me Nigel."

Dumbledore smiled as well. "Yes. But at the moment, I think, your students are awaiting their ques."

"Ah, yes." Nigel cleared his throat

Dumbledore looked at the Hogwarts students assembled in front of him and smiled warmly. "Please welcome Headmaster Wayford to our school."

There was polite clapping as the Headmaster stepped up to the podium and surveyed the crowd intently. The entire hall was completely silent as he continued to stare out into the crowd until he jumped suddenly, as if someone had poked him with something quite sharp. Then he smiled. "Ah yes. Sorry." He straightened his cloak and pulled out his wand from a hidden pocket. With a mumbled spell, the crest on his cloak magnified in a shimmering image above him as the Hogwarts students looked at it with awe.

"The Salem Academy for Talented Witches and Wizards is a school very much alike the one I am standing in now." He began. "We too, have four distinct Houses. Like your Houses, the Salem houses were founded by powerful wizards or witches from long ago. However, due to unknown reasons, the founders chose to not give their House their name, but to instead give it a season. In addition, each House has an Element. Under most circumstances, the Element of a student in a specific House is the type of magic the user possesses."

He looked over the crowd. "The four Houses are as follows: The House of Autumn-Earth, The House of Spring-Wind, The House of Winter-Ice, and The House of Summer-Fire. However, to make our journey, it was necessary for us to only bring the top members from two Houses. So without further ado, I give you… The House of Winter!" And with that he stepped away from the podium with a grin.

"Impressive man," Remus told his friends as the whole student body clapped, "for someone his age to be the Headmaster of such a prestigious school."

"Yeah but why are they here then?" Sirius questioned, asking this rather loudly over the amount of applause

Remus shrugged and continued to clap.

"I hope they don't take too long to get started!" James shouted. At that exact moment, every candle in the Hall blew out.

Murmurs broke out among the students. What was going on?

Soon, a number of students began to shiver.

"It's so c-c-cold." Peter whispered, teeth chattering.

As everyone heard a soft crunching noise, they looked down to see a thin layer of ice covering the entire floor. As a matter of fact, all of the walls, the tables, the benches, and even the empty plates on the table were covered in ice. It spread rapidly, covering the entire Hall in merely a few seconds. Moments after, what seemed to be statues of ice rose from the floor at the front of the Hall. The statues continued to grow until two of what seemed to be approximately forty, reached the size of a full grown male. The two statues seemed to spring to life as they lifted their frozen feet from the ground. The two ice creations pulled out icy wands and a burst of water shot out from both of them. But, because of the freezing temperature of the room, the water merely turned to ice in the shape of crude swords. They began to fight, each attempting to beat the other with their weapons.

"Wow…" James muttered. The others nodded

The other statues were finished growing now. As everyone tensed, thinking more fighters were about to appear, all of the statues (including the two fighting) burst from the inside out. Screams were heard throughout the Hall as people dove under the tables to avoid the sharp pieces of ice. However, the small shards froze in midair as the students of Hogwarts noticed the forty or so people standing in place of the statues, their wands aloft. Under their control, the ice held by each person was directed to the center of the ceiling, where all of the pieces came to together to create an image of a giant, frozen tree, devoid of any leaves. Snow fell from the ceiling over the tree, but not for long as the students called off their spells and the ice melted.

Screams tore throughout the Great Hall as the newcomers were cheered with such enthusiasm that many teachers covered their ears. The Salem students bowed and took their seats at a table near the teachers; their black cloaks had the hoods down so all could see their faces. Studying each of them carefully, Sirius noticed that the girl was not there. He realized she must be in the other House.

As the cheering continued, Headmaster Wayford stepped up to the podium and shouted in a loud voice, "Thank you to the House of Winter! However..!" The school quieted down. "We still have one more House to meet! Please welcome the students of the House of Summer!" More cheering.

**BUM**

**BUM BUM**

**BUM**

**BUM BUM**

A loud drum sounded from an unknown source in the Hall. The sound was so strong that it shook the silverware on the now unfrozen tables.

**BUM**

**BUM BUM**

**BUM**

**BUM –**

**BANG!**

The doors to the Great Hall sprang open with such force that they were nearly knocked off their hinges. First entered twenty boys who marched down the aisles with a ferocious look in their eyes. Their capes were pushed back over their shoulders so that the hoods were off and their arms were free for movement. In each of their hands a tambourine was being beat in tune with the drum.

**BUM**

_Shake_

**BUM BUM**

_Shake Shake_

They swept down the aisles in such coordination that each step, each shake of the instrument, was taken in perfect rhythm with the others. When they reached the High table they abandoned the tambourines and stomped.

High pitched battle cries were heard at the door. Everyone turned their heads to see twenty girls in dark crimson leotards standing at the door with grins on their faces. With a loud cry, they broke off into five lines and sprinted down the aisles. Halfway through the girls began to flip and do cartwheels in the air. At the same time, the boys raised their wands and bursts of flames shot from their wands to fly towards the girls. With perfect timing, the spells would hit where the girls had been a moment before and burst into bright fireworks. The girls reached the end of the hall as well, but did not cease to quit their screaming, and the boys began to shout as well, keeping the flames coming out of their wands. It seemed to be utter chaos. Utter, perfectly planned chaos.

This went on for about thirty seconds before a girl appeared out of nowhere, her hood flew off of her head and she pulled out her wand.

"It's her!" Sirius shouted in recognition

"Who?" James asked

Before he had the chance to respond, the girl leapt onto the High Table and ran down it, avoiding the platters and goblets still on the table. The teachers looked outraged, but the Hogwarts students were buzzing with curiosity. What did this strange girl think she was doing?

Suddenly, the screaming stopped as well as the fire. The girl continued to run, her long red hair streaming out behind her. She took the last step and stopped directly in front of Dumbledore's throne-like chair. She flung out her wand and shouted

"_Dragon's Fire!"_

And with these words, a massive dragon, made entirely out of flames, swooped down low over the students' heads and gave a ferocious roar of triumph.

It roared again and flew up to the ceiling where it burst into the most spectacular fireworks the Marauders had ever seen.

If it was possible, the Hall was filled with even more cheers as the girl stood on the table, wand by her side, breathing hard. Somehow, in all of the commotion, her eyes locked with Sirius and he grinned roguishly at her and nodded his head. She blushed and smiled widely before jumping off of the table to be caught by her housemates and lowered to the ground.

"GO SPARKY GO! GO SPARKY GOOOOO!" The House shouted, huddled together and bouncing up and down in pure happiness. The mass of people was so enthusiastic that it took them nearly fifteen minutes to get them to quiet enough for Dumbledore to be heard.

"…And a large 'thank you' to both Houses!" Dumbledore exclaimed, his ancient face crinkled with a smile. "Hogwarts students are dismissed for bed. Salem students please remain behind for an announcement."

The Great Hall was once again filled with noise as the Hogwarts students proceeded to exit.

"Blimey," James stated, running a hand through his hair, "that last House was bloody brilliant!"

"Yeah." Peter agreed, nodding his head

Remus frowned, "I think both Houses have considerable amounts of talent. Though…" He admitted with a smile, "…that last group did seem to remind me of Gryffindor. What do you think Sirius?"

Sirius didn't hear them though; he was too busy thinking about the girl and her strange eyes, which had appeared to be a dark red.

---

**A/N: Review please? Anything is good, be it nice or not. But please be nice… -begs-**


	2. Sorting

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long but I was kinda unsure of where to go with this story. Since I want this to be my longest story that I make (it is already I believe) I'm trying not to rush ahead or skip anything important. Thanks to The Geeky Quill, Ruby Chubb, HoMeSlIcE4LiFe, Friar Freaking Lawrence, Johanna Black, WatchMeChange, and Faded Feathers for reviewing! It means a lot to me :)**

As they began to make their way up the stairs to the tower, Sirius couldn't stop thinking about the exotic looking girl. He was suddenly struck with an idea. Excitedly he turned to James.

"Prongs! Oy! Prongs!" He tried to get his friend's attention

"Hmm…. Wha?" James responded distractedly, watching Lily as she hurried by them.

"You got the cloak on you by any chance?"

"Mmm yeah sure." James dug around in an inside pocket and willingly passed it over to Sirius.

Remus eyed Sirius suspiciously. "What are you going to do with that?

"I want to see what they're talking about down there. You can come too if you want." He slipped under the cloak but extended his arm to beckon Remus over to him.

Remus looked torn between his prefect duties and satisfying his curiosity about the school. He ran his fingers through he his chestnut hair and exhaled loudly before slipping under the invisibility cloak with Sirius.

"Blimey I've been around you and James for too long."

"Oh bugger off Moony. You know you love us." Sirius grinned crookedly.

Remus snorted. "You tell yourself that. Now hurry up, we need to get back into the Great Hall before the doors close." The two shuffled away, leaving Peter with a love struck James.

Keeping along the wall, the two Marauders reached the Hall quickly.

The two huge doors to the Great Hall were creaking as the heavy wood dragged along the floor, separating the foreigners from the rest of Hogwarts.

"Hurry they're shutting the doors!" Sirius whispered as loudly as he could without anyone else hearing him.

"No shit Sherlock." Remus muttered in response

The boys nearly dove headfirst into the Hall. They barely made it; the doors banged shut behind them as the two collected themselves. Remus quickly checked to make sure they were fully under the cloak.

"Sirius your foot!" The young Black hurriedly pulled the offending appendage back. Remus exhaled in relief. "I don't think anyone saw. We're good." And with that the two made themselves comfortable on the floor as Professor Dumbledore began to speak to the students assembled at the remaining table in the front of the Hall. 

* * *

The huge doors slammed shut and I gave a little jump in my seat, startled. I quickly turned my head slightly just in time to see a flash of black near the floor. I turned forward again, keeping the corner of my eye focused on the doors.

"What does she think the doors are gonna do? Bite her?" A voice whispered not far from me. I turned to see Helen, the resident snob, staring at me as her cronies giggled deviously. If she thought her petty insults would get to me she was sorely mistaken. I had learned to ignore them long ago.

Nonetheless, I turned my full attention back to the Headmaster and Professor Dumbledore. As the two chatted amiably, I slouched over the table and mused to myself, twirling my hair absentmindedly around my finger. Never to leave myself uneducated, I had looked up Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore in the extensive Summer library back at school. His past left me in awe and confusion at the same time. His triumph over Grindlewald impressed me but the circumstances around his sister's death were suspicious. No matter the case, I fully believed Dumbledore to be a brilliant man.

It was only after I noticed the seats around me emptying that I realized we were being called up to be sorted into a House. Personally, I thought that a display of magical talent was a better way to sort people that by putting an enchanted hat on, but whatever.

I hummed a little under my breath, waiting for my name to be called. Finally I heard the L names being called.

The stern looking witch who had introduced herself as Professor Minerva McGonagall back in the Hall finally read my name.

"Libellus, Emma."

In my haste to be sorted and have people's attention off of me I shot straight up out of my seat. Ignoring sniggers from my classmates I walked up to the stool and sat down hesitantly, feeling awkward until I realized no one was really paying attention to me anymore. I stared forward blankly until the hat slid down over my eyes.

_Hullo Hat._ I thought

_Hello to you to Miss Libellus. Let me see… Hmmm… _The hat was deep in thought, the occasional phrase being murmured clearly enough for me to understand. _Not very loyal to your classmates I see… Not very ambitious either… So it will either be Ravenclaw or Gryffindor… You would do very well in Ravenclaw… Very well indeed… Hmmm…_

I absentmindedly found myself thinking of the handsome boy who had seen me enter the Great Hall. I wonder what House he's in…

_Ahhh, _the Hat said, reading my thoughts. _Already seen the young Black boy? He could help you a lot I think… Yes I believe he could bring out something in you that you wouldn't expect… Don't prove me wrong girl… So it better be…. _"GRYFFINDOR!" It shouted aloud.

I pulled the Hat off of my head and stumbled over to where the other new Gryffindors were standing with a confused look. Wasn't the Gryffindor House supposed to be known for bravery and daring? I might be considered daring, but certainly not brave…

I noticed that many of the Winters were being sorted into Slytherin and Ravenclaw while the Summers predominantly went to Gryffindor and were scattered throughout the other three Houses. I smiled smugly when I noticed Helen had been sorted into Slytherin, the House notorious for Dark wizards and witches. She'd fit right in.

Out of those from Summer House that were sorted into Gryffindor, I recognized one girl to be named Catherine. Most of the others I recognized but I didn't know their names. There were two students from Winter House as well, a boy and a girl. Hopefully we'd get along okay…

Headmaster Wayford stood up as the last student was sorted. "Good good, you're all sorted into your Houses for the year. Everybody take your map," With a pop, a piece of parchment appeared in front of each group of students. "…and it will lead you to your dormitories. Be here tomorrow for breakfast tomorrow between 8 and 9 where you will not go to classes but instead will meet with the Head of your House and myself to determine your schedule. This is a privilege for you to be here and you must remember that. If you cause any significant amount of trouble you will be sent back to school where you will spend your final year alone in your House. You're dismissed. Goodnight."

Everyone headed for the doors as they began to creak open once again. I drifted slightly behind my housemates, taking in the view of the school. However, being myself, I quickly found myself in a hallway by myself with no idea where to go.

I groaned. "This cannot be happening."

I stiffened when I noticed a presence behind me. A male voice chuckled lowly.

"You lost, little book?"

I gulped.

**Well there we go! Chapter 2 is OUT! It's a good bit shorter than the previous chapter but I'm happy with it. Most chapters will probably be closer to this length anyway… School is out for the summer so I'm hoping I can make some progress with this story in a shorter amount of time than it normally takes me.**

**By the way, Emma's last name translates to "little book" from Latin (hence the nickname).**

**Hope you liked it! Please review! :D**


	3. Corridors

**A/N: Holy Shiznit I'm actually posting something... Sorry it's been, what, a year? And a half? My bad. Senior year's been pretty good thus far. Fall was a bit stressfull... However, I did get into college! So stress is gone! And I can write! Yayyyy.**

**---**

I stood still, pretending to admire a rather intimidating suit of armor. It looked as if to be from the 16th century or so... I wonder what the man who wore it was like? Where was he from? Did he die? Or maybe there was never a man at all? A spirit? I wish I had someone to be my knight in shining armor....

My thoughts continued to spiral and I found myself rambling out loud, a habit I often demonstrated when I was nervous.

"Did you know that the quality of the metal used in armour deteriorated as armies became bigger and armour was made thicker, necessitating breeding of larger cavalry horses? During the 14–15th centuries armour seldom weighed more than 15 kilos, but by the late 16th century it weighed 25 kilos. The increasing weight and thickness of late 16th century armour therefore gave substantial resistance. But then plates were gradually removed to save weight and then they only wore-"

Warm breath, rank with the smell of something I couldn't identify, tickled my neck. I tried not to shiver as goosebumps spread over my body. All I was wearing was my hooded cloak and the leotard underneath, leaving me quite chilly in Hogwarts' vast stone hallways.

Wordlessly, I directed a warming spell to feet, which were beginning to turn purple. I then pulled my hood back up and began to walk away.

"So, you are lost aren't you, little book?" A rough, ice cold, hand grabbed me by the arm.

"Oy! What do you think you're doi- Crap." I spun around, eyes glinting dangerously until I realized who it was. Then I paled.

Alexander Bellum, a member of the House of Winter. If I didn't hate his guts, I might have found him attractive. He was roughly 6 feet tall with thick brown hair that fell in loose waves to the base of his neck. A Quidditch player, he had broad shoulders and fairly significant muscles. But the thing that set me off were his eyes. They were a stormy gray-blue, and they followed me everywhere I went. They were intense and not in the good way.

See, Alexander has this rather bothersome obsession with torturing me. And by torturing I mean that he takes every opportunity he can to humiliate me. Or at least, that's what it used to be; insults and the random hex or two. But lately he's changed. There's something in his eyes that scares me and makes me uncomfortable. He constantly corners me and tries to get me alone.

"Let go of me!" I roughly jerked away. Or tried to. But his grip was like iron and I began to struggle.

"I mean it- let me go!" He merely chuckled and pulled me closer.

Quickly drawing my wand I whispered, "Incendio".

"Aguamenti," he sighed, counteracting my spell easily.

However, I did accomplish my goal of escaping as he had reached for his wand. I quickly began to stride the corridor, desperately hoping I was going the right way.

"And where do think you're going?"

"Ure." I said. "Burn!" A jet of invisible flames burst at him but he was used to this attack from me.

"Protego." He quickly shielded himself. "Emma dearest, when are you going to learn that those weak attacks don't work on me."

I fumed. I may know far more spells than my classmates, but I will admit that I'm not the strongest dueler. Normally, I'd escape from situations like this with a smoke bomb or some other distraction. However, my bag of tricks was locked away in my trunk, presumably waiting for me in Gryffindor Tower. Wherever that was.

"Petrificus totalus." Alexander sounded bored as I stiffened and fell to the ground, wand clattering onto the floor beside me.

My eyes burned a hole in his head, or rather, they should have. But alas, my normal human vision fails me once again.

Alexander picked up my wand, twirling it between his fingers and he stared down on me. "There's a good girl... Now what to do with you..." He pretended to think. "Ah! Here's an idea..."

Standing menacingly over me, he lowered his wand so it was pointing directly between my eyes.

And smiled.

---

**First chapter back and it's a cliffhanger too! For a while I was debating making it Sirius who sneaks up on her but then I had a better idea. Sorry for the total OC chapter but you'll be seeing more characters in the next chapter (whenever it comes out that is...)**

**So yeah, review please! Hopefully I made up for the long wait! I know it's a bit short but it's my first time writing something like this in a rather long time!**


	4. First Impression

"Stupefy!"

The guy that was standing over the helpless girl crumpled to the ground. Once we were sure he wasn't getting back up anytime soon, Remus and I whipped off the cloak and hurried over to the unknown girl.

"You..." I breathed out as I realized exactly who we had stumbled upon. Well, not exactly stumbled upon per say, since we did follow the guy once we realized he had no intention of following his classmates off to Slytherin. And okay maybe I had wanted to initiate the newest member of the house with a little Marauder greeting. But I digress.

I muttered the counter-charm and held out my hand to the now unfrozen girl. She glanced at it before turning away to look for her wand. Finding it, she snatched it up and grasped onto my hand.

'Her hands are so warm' I thought as I lifted her up.

"You okay?" I asked her.

"Yeah. I'm fine." She fidgeted nervously, attempting to draw her cloak around her small frame.

"Alright guys, our friend over there is taken care of so we should get a move on to the tower." Remus said as he finished stuffing the guy behind a suit of armor so he was less likely to be found by anyone patrolling the halls.

"Good thinking Moony. Now come meet our newest classmate. Emma, right?"

Her eyes flashed in the torchlight. They weren't red as I had originally thought, but a hazel color that had a slight tint to them. Why did I ever think they were red? That'd be weird.

"How did you know my name?"

Oops. Forgot that she didn't know we snuck in for the sorting

"Yes, Padfoot. That is curious." Remus was giving me "the look". As in, the "you better be able to talk your way out of this" look.

"Uh... It's on your cloak?"

She looked down to where I noticed that her name was indeed embroidered on the upper left of her cloak. Gotta love how lucky I am sometimes.

Emma blushed, "Oh... I guess you're right. I'm sorry."

I looped an arm over her shoulder and gave her a grin. "All's forgiven little Emma. Now where exactly were you trying to go, hmm?"

She shrugged out from under my arm and stepped away from me. Remus snickered at her rejection of my touch and I glared at him. He ignored it. Prat.

"Um. The Gryffindor common room."

Remus and I couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"I was going the total wrong way wasn't I?" She seemed embarrassed.

Still chuckling, I nodded.

"Well you can follow us then. We're headed back that way as well. We're Gryffindors too." Remus said, always the perfect little prefect.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "That'd be great thanks. I have an awful sense of direction."

I smirked. "We can tell. You two get going. I'll catch up in a minute or so."

Remus rolled his eyes and offered his arm to her. She hesitated before cautiously grasping onto it. I heard his "Welcome to Hogwarts" speech that he was fond of giving to first years as the pair set off.

I went over to the suit of armor and cast another stunning charm just in case. I started to walk away but I paused before I quickly cast another hex. Boils are always an appropriate addition to any Slytherin's face after all.

I jogged down the corridor to catch up to Remus and Emma and grinned to myself. What a great start to the year.

**A/N: I'm aliiiiive. Sorry for the super-mega absence. And the shortness of this chapter. But I haven't done any writing other than college essays since whenever this story was last updated. So yeah, better than nothing right? Updates will be sporadic. Hopefully not as sporadic as they have been but I'm not gonna lie and say they'll be consistent. Reviews would be loved.**


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